Nature is full of fascinating, borderline unthinkable creatures. It’s sometimes hard to believe that certain animals even exist, which is absolutely the case here.
The Memphis Zoo recently welcomed an extremely rare addition to their animal family in the form of an adorable baby pygmy slow loris, and as we see in this video shared by ABC News, this little guy is already melting hearts.
@abcnewsThe Memphis Zoo in Tennessee is celebrating the birth of a baby pygmy slow loris, whose native population is in major decline, with the number living in the wild currently unknown, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The birth of this cute little furball calls for celebration, as the pygmy slow loris population is unfortunately in major decline. But I’m thrilled to know that the Memphis Zoo is doing their part in not only caring for this newborn, but assisting with the conservation of these adorable little creatures in general.
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Honestly, I just can’t get over how tiny this little guy is. How is that even possible!? It looks like something out of a Sci-Fi movie, in my opinion. It’s so small, so fragile… so vulnerable. Consider my mind blown. Regardless, this tiny newborn male (who has yet to be named) is expected to join the Memphis Zoo’s Animals of the Night exhibit once he’s big enough.
What is a slow pygmy loris?
The slow pygmy loris is not an animal most of us see (or probably even think about) very often. And that’s most likely because they’re extremely rare and extremely endangered.
Unfortunately, pygmy slow lorises are the “most endangered of the non-lemur prosimians,” as reported by Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.
They’re constantly threatened by things like pet trade, habitat loss and the logging industry, but fortunately, protected areas continue to create opportunities for their population to recover. Fingers crossed!
Their goofy little faces are patterned with light and dark fur and they usually have circles around their eyes (that almost resemble clown makeup). In fact, the name “loris” actually comes from an old Dutch word for clown.
As their name suggests (and the video proves), pygmy slow lorises are extremely small; smaller than an average squirrel, as a matter of fact. Their bodies are typically about 6 to 10 inches long, and males and females are generally around the same size.
However, as cute as slow lorises look, they also produce a venom in their upper arm that—when combined with enzymes in their saliva—causes their bites to be extra painful.
It can also lead to allergic reactions and slow wound healing, which is obviously no fun. And because the venom is not fast acting, they don’t rely on it to attack predators; instead, they use it in territorial disputes with each other.
Oddly enough, they also groom themselves with the venom to ward off parasites and warn predators to stay away. Hey, whatever works, right?
While scientists are still learning about pygmy slow lorises’ behavior in the wild, they do know they are typically found living by themselves (when they aren’t mating). Males’ territories tend to overlap, and it’s possible that they are friendly with each other, but not yet proven.
Again, the good news is, places like the Memphis Zoo are single-handedly helping with conservation efforts with these unique animals, and the birth of this little cutie is a huge deal.
